Running Shoes (The Shades of Northwood) (7 page)

“I believe in
one life that just goes on a really long time.”

Okay. That was
a new one. Not immortality, something she knew man had been trying
to achieve for pretty much ever – as if something like living
forever would be a good thing. Katie wanted her eighty to ninety
years and then quietly pop off. Having to make friends forever,
watch them hurt and die forever – well there was only so much a
person could take. But a life that just seemed to go on and on like
a train with no brakes? Yeah, she could see the logic in that.

“When the
physical body dies, I think people just get up, dust themselves off
and ask what’s next. There’s always somethin’ next.” Jack returned
his hat to his own head and walked over to sit on the ground in the
middle of the track. He beckoned for Katie to come sit next to him.
The rain had stopped but there were pools of water on the track and
she knew the ground had to be completely soaking.

“I’ll get all
mucky!”

Jack got on his
knees and mimed begging her to come down which she did but only
after warning him that he would be getting a bill for replacement
clothes if they got dirty. Jack swiped his handover the ground by
him and when Katie lowered herself, it was bone dry. The grass
around her was a dry as it had probably been up until this morning.
Putting her hand out to feel the grass a few inches away, it was
wet and slimy. She frowned, one hand on the dry ground and one in
the mud. Then she remembered seeing the rain falling through their
hands a few minutes – hours? – ago. It was easy to lose track of
time.

“Come on, Lady
Katie. What do you believe in?”

Bad people and
things that go thump in the night. Men in the shadows and an escape
that might not go anywhere but back to black. “You’re shivering,”
she noticed. Katie wondered if he was cold and wished she had
brought a jacket to wrap around him, but even the rain had not
chilled the air quite enough for one.

“I shuddered. I
guess someone just walked over my grave.”

“Very
inconsiderate.” Katie grinned. She surprised herself because she
didn’t even feel that happy when she thought about it – she just
felt like smiling. “Whatever happened to respect for imaginary
tombs?”

“Don’t ask me.”
And there it was again. That hint of a shadow that fluttered behind
green eyes, momentarily dulling their laser brightness in the dark.
There was something there, some secret he was not telling or some
instant of history that made him hold back. “People aren’t as nice
as they used to be, you. But trust me, they ain’t as mean
either.”

Katie was not
sure she could believe that but she looked at him and tried to
smile. For once, it came out as bright and natural as she’d hoped
and Jack returned her smile. They sat there for minutes just
grinning away at each other, not talking, until Katie realised that
the silence was getting uncomfortable and broke it. “Will I see you
at the academy or something? Do you study in town?”

“I’m past
educatin’, Lady Katie.”

Oh. She had
hoped that Jack might be her ally when classes started, a friend to
look after her when everything tried to overwhelm her as it surely
would. “Nothing’s ever easy, is it? So I’m going to start a new
college with new classes and new people in a new town and all on my
own.”

“Hey,” Jack
said and reached for her hand. Katie froze for a second and pulled
away. He left his hand on the dry ground and waited for Katie to
relax and come back to him. She put her hand on the ground beside
his but couldn’t quite bring herself to touch him. “Remember that.
This is all new and it’s okay to be worried but you can make this
your time.”

“You’re right.
No-one knows me here, no-one has any expectations. My student years
could be the best years of my life.”

“But?”

“What if
they’re not? This could make me or break me, okay, and what if it
breaks me?”

“So don’t let
it.”

If only things
were that simple. She finger-crawled over his hand. “I’m sorry
Jack. I’m not scared of you – I’m not scared
with
you. How
do you stop me thinking about bad things?” Fluid phantoms and
skeleton hands chased around her mind but for whatever reason they
didn’t seen frightening. They were steadfast and certain and she
knew they would not leave her thoughts – in fact, they were getting
closer with ever blink and every breath – but Jack was making her
feel safe from them all. “What happens when you go away?” she asked
suddenly. “I think it’s drying up. Come on.” She pushed herself up
and glanced up. A half moon and a smattering of stars had slipped
away from the clouds and fought the light pollution to light the
sky. The ground was still wet and muddy and she hopped onto the
track before she ruined her trainers. But she wasn’t quick enough
to prevent dirty footprints from decorating the ground. They would
be washed away pretty quickly if there was any more rain before the
morning when some-one - probably Roy – came to hose down the track
in the morning. Jack followed her across the track as she headed
for the sheltered seating. Katie turned and tried to hurry him up
from the dawdle he had fallen into – a perfect opportunity to gaze
at her toned backside. As she did, Katie noticed that there were no
dirty prints coming from his boot heels. Nor were there any of the
dents in the soft grass she expected his heels to leave. Nothing.
That was very not natural. Katie backed up a step as he hit the
first one. This boy and water – he didn’t leave prints but he had
footsteps – proper loud ones – she
heard
them. He was just
incredibly light on his feet when he wanted to be. Ballet dancers
could be heavy and clomping but have stunning grace in the studio.
They went up the stairs a way in this step-for-step fashion. Rain
had fallen through their hands but that must have just been a trick
on the light. Jack must have one of those static thingies that bent
water. The top of the stairs was almost upon Katie. Jack had patted
the soaking ground and it became dry instantly. The boy repelled
water. Christ, that was the stuff of films and fairytales.

“You’re not
real.”

“I’m as real as
any of us.” Jack thrust out an arm and made a fist. He punched one
of the wooden seats at his side, causing far more damage to himself
than it, then held his arm out for Katie to take and inspect. His
knuckles were scratched and cuts were already beginning to open.
She could just make out one or two black dots which she assumed
were tiny splinters. But the cry of pain sounded real enough and he
couldn’t fake these injuries.

He searched out
her eyes again and Katie, once again, felt herself right on the
edge of falling into them. She let go of her guards and reminded
herself she trusted Jack; she had to learn to trust people again.
Not everybody was out to hurt her. Even in this tiny town which
didn’t even seem to have a police station, strangers were mostly
going to be friendly and helpful. Paranoia had crept into her
consciousness in the past few months and she could hardly remember
the last time she’d been able to out for a walk without looking
over her shoulder. Until today. Tonight. “I need to go home.”

“I’ll walk with
you.”

Katie let him.
He told her a bit about the town and how it was actually really
old. When it started to rain again, he slid his hat over to her
head to keep her long hair from frizzing up even more. He stopped
at the end of her street. Katie was flagging and thoughts of her
bed tried to strong-arm their way into her mind. Her watch readjust
a few minutes before midnight and she yawned whilst trying to keep
at least a fraction of her attention on Jack’s tale of getting into
some bar brawl a few years ago. He never got to the part where
either he or the other guy won before, “Lady Katie, I need to do
somethin’. You’re not gonna like me very much for it.”

“I’ve seen the
worst a man can do. You have a lot to live up to.” All the same,
Jack could be plotting anything. He might confess to being a
psychotic murderer or maybe… maybe he was just going to take the
Stetson from her and dangle it from the string. “Go for it.”

He leaned in -
coincidentally the pair were exactly the same height - and kissed
her. A dim glow seemed to spread behind her brown eyes and she knew
the brilliance of Jacks’ green ones were warming her from the
stomach outwards. It was soft and gentle and their lips seemed to
fit together exactly and know just what to do, as though this were
not a new experience for Katie. Maybe she had expected fireworks
like the stories always promised, maybe she expected it to be rough
and intense like everything turned out to be, but she hadn’t
expected this.

“Jack, don’t
leave me,” she murmured as he pulled away.

“I wish I
didn’t have to,” he whispered back then kissed again before putting
his arms on her shoulders to her away.

The warmth in
her stomach began to fade away as the arms on hers disappeared.
Katie opened her eyes and was sure she saw a pair of bright green
eyes staring at her. It was such a brief image that it might have
been her imagination so she turned and headed for her house. More
importantly her bed.

There was a
light on in the house so Katie didn’t feel too bad about sneaking
in when it was practically tomorrow. She felt in her pocket for the
key Adam had lent her – she had meant to get a copy cut today and
not got around to it – and opened the door to quiet squeals and
giggling from the kitchen. Intrigued, Katie poked her head through
to see the cause of the noise.

“What was it
like?” Lainy and Adam were sitting opposite two girls who were
laughing away and chatting as though they were old friends. “The
Grand Canyon just an hours drive from home… must be amazing.”

“Oh, it is. I’m
glad my dad moved out there. Just wish he’d done it ten years ago,”
said the one with short brown hair and pale, nearly white skin.

“Katie!” Lainy
jumped up and grabbed her to pull her into the kitchen. “These two
are Dina and Jade. This is their second year here – apparently
they’re sado-masochists.”

Katie made a
half-hearted attempt at a finger wave and a smile, but she was so
dog tired she thought she might just fall down in a minute. “Nice
to… it’s nice.” Words were beginning to fail her.

“Now the house
is back together, we’re having a party tomorrow evening. Attendance
compulsory.”

“Drinking
recommended,” added Dina or Jade.

“Clothing
optional,” said the other Dina or Jade.

They dissolved
into giggles again and Katie couldn’t stop herself from joining in.
Laughter was always infectious to her ears and when she managed to
get herself together, Katie pointed out, “I’m 16. Not allowed to do
any of that stuff.”

“You’re telling
me you’ve never had a drink or streaked?”

Katie had drunk
before but never more than a glass of wine on special occasions,
maybe a few of those sugary alcopops at parties. Nothing more. And
she never thought she’d be wasted enough to strip. “Only a
little.”

“She’s
underage, Dina.”

“And desperate
for bed. Again.” Katie shrugged her apologies and went to the
stairs. She took her time going up. Leo must be in bed already but
that still meant she was up here alone with him. The idea made her
nervous. By the time Katie had figured out why she was dreading
sleeping tonight – the others might not come up until it was too
late – she had used the bathroom and was getting ready for bed
after locking her bedroom door. And then, in her pyjamas and curled
on top of her bed, she discovered she could not sleep. The light
was off and the curtains closed but the moon shone so brightly now
through the thin yellow material that every edge of furniture shone
silver and every discarded box stood in thick shadow like a tower
that might topple onto her any time. Flattened by a box as she
slept – what a story that would be. Then, thinking about how
ridiculous that was, she looked at the door, got up, unlatched the
door and then climbed back into bed. It was stupid to be afraid of
the boy she would likely have to live with for the next year. Some
part of her kept reminding her she had to be careful but a slightly
bigger part insisted she was going to be fine.

“Don’t laugh!”
she shouted and worked through the meson the floor. “I’m wearing my
bunny PJs.” Katie loped down the stairs, trying to swing herself
over the creaky stairs.

The hallway and
stairs had all been in darkness when she came in so she hardly
noticed the darkness. Then the silence crept in. And everything
downstairs was dark and still. Katie stepped into the cool kitchen
which suddenly felt very old and cold, as if it was abandoned a
long time ago. She rubbed her arms up and down her arms, feeling
exposed, vulnerable, and was sure she felt something – residual
warmth? – a physical memory of hands that had been there not too
long ago. And deeper still were the outlines of other hands that
had held her in not such a gentle way. Hands that had left marks on
her that may never fade like a scar.

A tiny click
sounded out in the hall and then nothing for one breath-holding
minute. Then a shuffle over the welcome mat and another click. The
door shutting. Katie let out her breath as slowly and quietly as
she could. Had this old house simply been settling in the cooler
temperatures?
No!
her mind screamed at her and sent impulse
upon freezing impulse through to stay silent. Stay still.
There’s someone there. God only knows who it is or what they
want. Maybe they want to hurt you or take you away. Maybe they want
to take you back to that dark place and never let you come back to
the light. So say the fuck still!
But her body didn’t seem to
be paying much, or any really, attention to her brain. She watched
her arm skitter over the sideboard and then grab the handle of a
drawer. It slide open thankfully without a sound but it was full
with a chaotic jumble of pens, elastic bands, carrier bags and
other miscellany. Nothing useful in there. Well, she could probably
suffocate the intruder with a bag or fire a band into his eyes, but
that would be the fool’s way.
You’re still moving,
her mind
pointed out. Okay so stupid things were the order of the day right
now but those previous options were insanity. She had to draw the
line somewhere. The cupboard beneath it revealed a selection of pot
and pans. A second cupboard was full of tinned food and packets of
stuff Katie dreaded to think about. She’d have to show this new,
temporary family of hers what a healthy home cooked meal was all
about. And all the while, she knew, the intruder was getting closer
to the kitchen, closer to her. He had to be. She hadn’t heard the
stairs creak or seen a figure pass by the kitchen door into the
front room. The next drawer was cutlery – forks, knives, spoons.
She really had to get better acquainted with this kit- knives! And
yes, there were some sharp and long steak knives tucked away in the
back there. Good for stabbing. But it could so easily be turned and
used against her. No matter, Katie told herself that she would just
work quicker than they could think. If only her brain would
co-operate and come up with a plan. Her hand delved into the drawer
but everything rattled, and far too loudly for this peaceful house,
and she froze hearing some-one, something, shuffling towards her,
pushed the drawer shut quickly, grabbing the last item her fingers
touched. A spoon. Great. At least a fork was a reasonable weapon to
stab with and, if it did not cause any bodily damage, it would be
quite painful. But oh no. it was a spoon… and a silly little tea
spoon at that. Katie curled her fist around her utensil like she
knew how to use it and turned to see a shadow creep across the
floor, centimetres away from the open door where a hulking form
would surely appear. And appear it did. It stood there and Katie
tried to close her eyes, not wanting to look. But she couldn’t not
look at this huge, quivering shape. Her breath was coming in sharp,
shallow rasps which she tried to keep as deep and quiet as she
could. In these states of panic, the brain always instructed the
lungs to take in as much oxygen as they could and as quickly as
they could because that supply might be cut off at any moment. The
oxygen was going to be all around her for a very long time, Katie
promised herself. If she stood still, maybe the shadow-man would
not see her, would not look for her, would go away and leave her
alone. Something inside, though, insisted that to shy away from
this confrontation would be unwise. This intruder was already
staring at her as she stood here with her spoon. Not facing him
down would be like letting her fear of the unknown – and what she
did
know about the world – get the better of her. She had
spent too long already being scared of things. Katie flipped the
spoon in her hand thinking that the weight of it and her bit of
strength behind it might give him a nasty bump on the head. She
flicked on the light and ran towards the shadow man, aiming the
spoon at his face and not looking at him.